This coming Monday is officially Memorial Day, the glorious ending to a slightly extended weekend that for years has marked the beginning of summer, even though summer is still a ways away.  There’ll be grilling and picnicking and bar-be-queing and all sorts of frivolity—but in the course of all the fun, maybe we need to pause and remember.

This day didn’t start out as a celebration.  It began in 1868 when the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans, determined that on this day they would decorate the graves of those Union soldiers who died in battle.  The South had their own traditions, observed at their own time, but as the years passed the traditions merged and all Americans who gave their lives in service to their country were honored.  Those observances gave birth to the holiday’s original name, Decoration Day—a name that was widely used until 1882.  Even then, the designation “Memorial Day” did not become common until after World War II.  And it was always celebrated on May 30 ^th , no matter on what day of the week that might fall.

But the powers that be saw fit to take advantage of the holiday, along with three others, to create the long weekend we have all grown to know and love.  The Uniform Monday Holiday Act , passed on June 28, 1968, issued a change of address for the observance, moving it from May 30 ^th to the last Monday in May.  And thus was born the three-day weekend.

Although the vast majority of Americans are probably thrilled with their upcoming day off, some veterans’ organizations aren’t so much.  Their objection might seem difficult to comprehend, but their argument may be valid.  By taking a day meant to honor those who sacrificed themselves for the greater good and using it as an opportunity to legitimately miss work, they feel the true meaning has been lost.  To quote the Veterans of Foreign Wars in their 2002 Memorial Day Address:

“Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day.  No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public’s nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.”

So, are they right?  Have the smell of meat on the grill and the beckoning of the lake or pool pushed the true meaning of the day from our minds?  Sadly, for many the answer is yes.  We forget that we have this day because there were men and women who died in service to our country.  Pay attention to that, please.  This day honors those soldiers who died while on active duty, not those who served and survived.  Their recognition comes on Veterans Day.  We forget those families who sent their sons and daughters and husbands and wives and brothers and sisters into battle, praying for a safe return that never came.

If you truly want to understand the meaning of our upcoming holiday—and you’re close enough to a national military cemetery—I suggest you take a walk through the grounds.  Move slowly and read the inscriptions on the monuments there.  If you’re at Shiloh you’ll find the majority of the graves for those killed in action during the battle are marked with only a number.  If their names were known they were never inscribed on the stones that stand row after row after row, gleaming in the sunlight or resting beneath the sweeping boughs of ancient cedars, bearing silent witness to the horrors of war and the loss it brings.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with an extra day of relaxation, of fun with family and friends.  But at some point this Monday—perhaps  as the sun begins to sink beneath the horizon and the festivities wind down—please take a moment to reflect.  Think about those who gave all so you can enjoy the day—and hope that future generations will not be called upon to do the same.

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